Short of Purple Hearts, Navy tells vet to buy his own.
By on Aug 17th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Short of Purple Hearts, Navy tells vet to buy his own.
Last week, Korean War veteran Nyles Reed, 75, learned he had earned a Purple Heart for “injuries he sustained as a Marine on June 22, 1952.” But instead of a medal, he received a form that said the Purple Heart was “out of stock,” and he could either “wait 90 days and resubmit an application, or buy his own medal.” “I can imagine, of course, with what’s going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s a big shortage,” Reed said.
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Business
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
Dobbs
Economy
Education
Election
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Glenn Beck
Global Warming
Health Care
Immigration
International Relations
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Politics
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Sports
Steele
Stimulus
Tea Parties
Tea Party
Terrorism
Veterans
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
Can Liberator buy one too?
August 17th, 2007 at 9:33 pmSad. So dam sad. You just can’t make this shit up. I hope the local VA Office for Nyles makes amends and reimburses him for the medal that he earned and had to buy for himself.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:38 pmSupport the troops–make them buy their own medals!
August 17th, 2007 at 9:45 pmjust call up president evil, cheney and tell him to have it out sourced by Hallaburton in DUBI or call china and order them with the next flag lapel pin’s….No big deal, what the hell our kid’s have to sleep in their car’s and pay for their medical when they get back from bull shit’s war….Sar/off.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:50 pmSorry, we’re short of artificial limbs too, you’ll have to buy your own.
Alternatively, we’ll provide you tools to carve your own.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:51 pmComment by “Deadeye” Dick Cheney — August 17, 2007 @ 9:51 pm
And how would one carve two artificial arms?
August 17th, 2007 at 9:55 pmThis is not worthy of outrage my goofy friends. The good veteran can wait 55 years and 90 days as there’s a shortage at the moment.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:56 pmMaybe Gonzo could melt down his Medal of Freedom to make a few extra?
August 17th, 2007 at 10:00 pmmedal privatization is in order:
no bid contract awarded to crony,
monopoly distribution, price gouging, made in China, headquartered in Dubai, Bible quote inscribed on the back, funded with tax dollars(so you have the priviledge to pay twice), slave labor used, no oversight/taxpayer overcharge, life in prison for those who throw it away or attempt to burn, guaranteed to fall apart
Purple Heart $500.00
August 17th, 2007 at 10:04 pm#8: This is not worthy of outrage my goofy friends. The good veteran can wait 55 years and 90 days as there’s a shortage at the moment.
Why do you hate our troops so much?
August 17th, 2007 at 10:04 pmI didn’t think anything else would suprise me, but I stand corrected.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:05 pmMaybe the Republicans would be willing to provide Mr Reed one of their bandaids with a purple heart drawn on it.
That sure shows their love and respect for the troops!
August 17th, 2007 at 10:13 pm#8 shortage isn’t the point…it’s the endless incompetence of your buddy the chimp. No matter what you say, it starts at the top and permeates throughout the government. He wanted to be the decider but he is ill equipped…just like the military clothing store is out of ribbons and medals. Maybe some dumbass should have sat on the certificate until the purple heart requisition came through???
August 17th, 2007 at 10:13 pmYou know, there is a reason that they are running short!
Comment by Liberator
Yeh, them damn 19 cent washers that cost 900,000 bucks.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:16 pmSo are they giving out Purple Hearts as a revenue enhancement. I mean if people have to buy them themselve who gets the profit from the purchase? I would love to know who has that Purple Heart contract. After 55 years they decide to award the medal, somebody’s making money somewhere.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:21 pmAnd how would one carve two artificial arms?
Comment by WaltTheMan — August 17, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
A good American would be able to carve with his toes.
/sarc off
August 17th, 2007 at 10:22 pmLet’s see…people over there getting there asses and appendages blown off and the supply guy is out to lunch. Now the chimpy apologists are saying “hey were at war and there is a good reason for the shortage”.
Kind of like “who knew this was going to happen”?
You chimpy leg humpers disgust me.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:23 pmguaranteed to fall apart
Purple Heart $500.00
Comment by mother father — August 17, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
And lead poisoning from handling the pieces. And the VA won’t treat you for lead poisoning.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:24 pmThe thing that I found particularly absurd (but not incredible) was that they didn’t say “We have a shortage: be patient, we’ll get you one as soon as posible.” You know, like retailers do. Or closer to the military mindset, not notify him at all until the medals are available. No, they said, “We’re out. Therefore your application is invalid and you must resubmit it.”
August 17th, 2007 at 10:27 pmVerrry nice.
Then, of course, the kicker: if you PAY for it, then, boy howdy, the medals are available.
Which means there is no shortage of Purple Hearts. Just humanity.
Just when you think being an American can’t get any more shameful…
August 17th, 2007 at 10:27 pm“out of stockâ€
Oh, I just got it. They melted them down to make bullets
August 17th, 2007 at 10:34 pmThis is the kind of thing that used to happen in Russia.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:35 pmThis is simply outrageous.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:37 pmAnother reason to ask the rhetorical question –
what has happened to America?
The answer, of course, is George Bush.
Don’t worry Marie.
He can make lots of new ones when he’s in prison.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:40 pmOf course there were no shortages of anything during the Clinton admin. How F’n silly can you get?
August 17th, 2007 at 10:54 pmThink they ran out during WW II, Korea, Vietnam or Gulf I? What is it with the idiots in charge these days? Total incompetence. Oh, wait…
August 17th, 2007 at 10:54 pmI forgot who’s in charge.
Never mind.
Sorry, Nyles, we needed the money to pay Blackwater, KBR, and whoever is the new Custer-Battles!
August 17th, 2007 at 11:04 pmShortage of purple hearts to go with the shortage of quality healthcare for the wounded and veterans.
Heck of a job, Bushie (sorry %*&^$#@)
August 18th, 2007 at 1:09 amOf course there were no shortages of anything during the Clinton admin. How F’n silly can you get?
Comment by Toliver — August 17, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
certainly not as silly as you.
August 18th, 2007 at 1:12 amOf course there were no shortages of anything during the Clinton admin.
Comment by Guliver — August 17, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
Fortunately during the Clinton administration we didn’t need 50,000 purple hearts.
August 18th, 2007 at 1:42 amCue for the trolls and assorted Bush cultists to start blathering about how the “left hates capitalism”, and that veterans should purchase their own medals because of the “free markets”, or some other idiocy like that in 3, 2, 1…
August 18th, 2007 at 1:52 amWhat’s next?
August 18th, 2007 at 5:28 amDo our soldiers have to bring their own body bags?
http://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2007/08/breaking-white-house-to-offer-plans-of.html
BREAKING: WH TO OFFER TROOP CUT OFFER
August 18th, 2007 at 6:21 amI have sex with dogs.
August 18th, 2007 at 7:43 amA rare moment of honesty for Ringo/Libertardian/Jake/I change my stupid names every thread
August 18th, 2007 at 7:46 amDuring WWII, the govt estimated the number of casualties likely in an invasion of Japan and ordered purple hearts for them. With the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan’s surrender, the invasion never happened, leaving the govt with a huge number of purple hearts warehoused. These have been given out in every war since then, including Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. They are only now being depleted. The purple hearts are not “out of stock” because the govt is being cheap or because it failed to anticipate casualties in Iraq. They are “out of stock” because the govt has no specs for the purple heart, no list of suppliers, no procurement procedures for getting new ones. It is the Bush govt’s incompetence at purchasing something it has not previously needed to buy.
August 18th, 2007 at 11:15 amEasy solution here. The republinuts can print Purple Heart magnet car stickers instead of We Purport The Troops magnets and all’s well that sells well.
August 18th, 2007 at 1:29 pmSo THAT’S how John Kerry got his medals!!
August 18th, 2007 at 4:30 pmHey, TP are you editing my comments before posting them or is there something automatic?
Maybe the software doesn’t allow the pointy brackets.
August 18th, 2007 at 4:32 pmMaybe the Bush administration will contract with a Chinese factory to produce Purple Hearts, just like I’ve heard that most American flags are made in China today.
Now, having said this, I must add that any patriotic administration would reimburse Mr. Reed for his out-of-his-own-pocket expense in being forced to buy his own Purple Heart. Plus, any patriotic administration would send a Pentagon general by to pin the Purple Heart on Mr. Reed’s chest, giving him a snap salute for Mr. Reed’s heroic service to our country.
Oh, well, too bad we don’t have a patriotic administration.
Besides, if they did send a Pentagon general to perform this patriotic ceremony, Mr. Reed would probably be billed for the general’s travel expenses.
August 18th, 2007 at 10:00 pmWhy didn’t Clinton give this guy a Purple Heart?
August 19th, 2007 at 11:00 amThe thing that I found particularly absurd (but not incredible) was that they didn’t say “We have a shortage: be patient, we’ll get you one as soon as posible.†You know, like retailers do. Or closer to the military mindset, not notify him at all until the medals are available. No, they said, “We’re out. Therefore your application is invalid and you must resubmit it.â€
Verrry nice.
Then, of course, the kicker: if you PAY for it, then, boy howdy, the medals are available.
Which means there is no shortage of Purple Hearts. Just humanity.
Comment by pbg — August 17, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
——
spot on.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:04 amI just read the article. Senator Cornyn gets a gold star for constituent services.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:08 am